young moorhen?

[Madz]

Can anyone tell me please, is this a young moorhen? It was down on the pond bank where there has been a moorhen family, but there are so many other young birds around , they all look brown and fluffy to me!!!

If so could you let me know how you can tell as it would help for future reference.

Thanks a lot

Madz

[Ukwildlifeo]

Id say it was. Its a Moorhen or Coot. And if you look at this photo (that I just took a hour ago! lol) of a coot chick the beak looks different to your chick

[Madz]

Thanks Ukwildlifeo, I thought it probably was. The coot (great photo btw) is much more slate grey isn't it? Also I think in mine there's a hint of the light coloured flank line emerging.

Don't know how old these would be? Would love some sort of reference as to the different stages they go through. But I know it's beyond the realistic scope of most field guides.

Thanks again

Madz

[demicav]

I recently saw a coot with it's chicks and they were covered in red feathers, but very tiny so maybe mine were younger. They had to be coot chicks unless the mum had been doing some fostering .

[glsammy]

Coot chicks definitely get the red and almost bald head as in this shot I took last year:



Coots are also quite likely to kill some of their young if they have too many. It's something I witnessed last year, not a pretty sight.

[Crested Newt]

Such lovely pcis now you have made me want to go out at the weekend to the local Moorhen breeding population .

[Madelinew]

I'd say definitely a Moorhen. They make me laugh with their enormous feet completely out of proportion to their bodies. And as they tread on their own feet as they walk, it's not uncommon to see one stumble.

[Madz]

I love watching these birds. They're fascinating. It's like our local pond has suddenly gone from very quiet to bursting with life with all the new bird families - coots, moorhens, huge broods of mallards. Don't know why I've not been down here before!!! I think we sometimes take for granted what's on our own doorstep.

Thanks for all your replies everyone,

Madz